By the Peak Health Marketing team · Updated · 5 min read
TL;DR
LegitScript is an independent company that certifies healthcare businesses in higher-risk categories. In the United States, Google and other ad platforms require its certification (or a recognized alternative) for telemedicine providers, online pharmacies and addiction treatment advertisers. A local practice advertising in-person care usually doesn't need it. You pay LegitScript directly: an application fee, then an annual fee per website. Check its current pricing before you budget.
If you've tried to advertise a telehealth service on Google and been told your ads can't run, you've already met LegitScript. If you run a dental office and have never heard of it, that's normal too.
What LegitScript is
LegitScript is a private company that reviews healthcare businesses and certifies the ones that meet its standards for licensing, legal compliance and transparency. It isn't a government agency. Ad platforms and payment companies use its certification as a gate: in certain categories, you can't advertise until you're certified.
Who needs it
Under Google's healthcare and medicines policy for the United States, these advertisers need a recognized certification before applying to Google to advertise:
- Telemedicine providers. Google allows telemedicine advertising from providers verified through LegitScript's Healthcare Merchant Certification. Google has also announced that it will accept accreditation from the National Association of Boards of Pharmacy (NABP) for this purpose.
- Online pharmacies. Google accepts LegitScript certification or NABP accreditation.
- Drug and alcohol addiction treatment. Google only allows these ads from certified providers. LegitScript runs a separate Addiction Treatment Certification for this, and says it is also recognized by Meta and Microsoft in the United States.
After certification you still apply to the ad platform itself. The certificate is a requirement for that application, not a replacement for it.
Who usually doesn't
A practice advertising in-person services generally doesn't need LegitScript to run ads. That covers most dental offices, chiropractors, physical therapists, med spas and primary care clinics. You'll still have to follow each platform's health advertising rules, including limits on prescription drug terms and on claims.
The gray areas
The line gets blurry when an in-person practice adds a remote service. Common examples:
- A wellness or weight loss clinic that prescribes after a video visit and ships medication.
- A hormone or functional medicine practice that sees patients in several states by video.
- A mental health practice that adds medication management online, or treats substance use.
- A health technology company that connects patients with prescribers.
If any of those describe you, find out before you build a campaign. An ad account that gets flagged for running restricted ads without certification can take a long time to recover.
What it costs
LegitScript charges two fees for its healthcare certification, both for each website: a one-time, nonrefundable application fee, and an annual fee once you're approved. Addiction treatment certification is priced for each facility instead.
LegitScript charges a one-time application fee and then an annual fee, and both are charged for each website you certify. Expedited review costs extra. The amounts have changed over the years and vary by certification type, so we don't quote them here: get the current figures from LegitScript's site before you budget.
You pay LegitScript directly. An agency shouldn't be collecting or marking up that fee.
How to prepare
- Gather licenses for the business and every prescriber, in every state you serve.
- Make sure your website clearly shows who you are: legal business name, physical address, phone number, and the clinicians behind the service.
- Publish clear privacy, terms, and refund or cancellation policies.
- Check that every claim on your site is accurate and that you only offer what you're licensed to offer in each state.
- Document how a patient is evaluated before anything is prescribed.
- Be ready to answer follow-up questions. Review time depends on how complete the application is.
Where we fit
We aren't LegitScript and can't approve anyone. What we do is tell you early whether you're likely to need certification, get your website ready for review, and plan the rest of your marketing, such as local SEO and content, so you're not standing still while you wait. Once you're certified, we run your ads inside each platform's rules.
